Computer Press!

Kaspersky Lab, a leading developer of secure content management solutions, announces that the first malicious program classified as a Trojan-SMS has been detected for smartphones running on Google’s Android operating system. Named Trojan-SMS.AndroidOS.FakePlayer.a, it has already infected a number of mobile devices.

The new malicious program penetrates smartphones running Android in the guise of a harmless media player application. Users are prompted to install a file of just over 13 KB with the standard Android extension .APK. Once installed on the phone, the Trojan uses the system to begin sending SMSs to premium rate numbers without the owner’s knowledge or consent, resulting in money passing from a user’s account to that of the cybercriminals.

The Trojan-SMS category is currently the most widespread class of malware for mobile phones, but Trojan-SMS.AndroidOS.FakePlayer.a is the first to specifically target the Android platform. It should be noted that there have already been isolated cases of devices running Android being infected with spyware. The first such program appeared in 2009.

“The IT market research and analysis organization IDC has noted that those selling devices running Android are experiencing the highest growth in sales among smartphone manufacturers. As a result, we can expect to see a corresponding rise in the amount of malware targeting that platform,” says Denis Maslennikov, Mobile Research Group Manager at Kaspersky Lab. “Kaspersky Lab is actively developing technologies and solutions to protect this operating system and plans to release Kaspersky Mobile Security for Android in early 2011.”

Kaspersky Lab recommends that users pay close attention to the services that an application requests access to when it is being installed. That includes access to premium rate services that charge to send SMSs and make calls. When a user agrees to these functions during the installation of an application, the smartphone may then be able to make calls and send SMSs without further authorization.

The signature for Trojan-SMS.AndroidOS.FakePlayer.a has already been added to Kaspersky Lab’s antivirus databases.

Source: http://www.kaspersky.com/news?id=207576152

questionable Android mobile wallpaper app that collects your personal data and sends it to a mysterious site in China, has been downloaded millions of times, according to data unearthed by mobile security firm Lookout.

That means that apps that seem good but are really stealing your personal information are a big risk at a time when mobile apps are exploding on smartphones, said John Hering, chief executive, and Kevin MaHaffey, chief technology officer at Lookout, in their talk at the Black Hat security conference in Las Vegas today.

“Even good apps can be modified to turn bad after a lot of people download it,” MaHaffey said. “Users absolutely have to pay attention to what they download. And developers have to be responsible about the data that they collect and how they use it.”

The app in question came from Jackeey Wallpaper, and it was uploaded to the Android Market, where users can download it and use it to decorate their phones that run the Google Android operating system. It includes branded wallpapers from My Little Pony and Star Wars, to name just a couple.

It collects your browsing history, text messages, your phone’s SIM card number, subscriber identification, and even your voicemail password. It sends the data to a web site, www.imnet.us. That site is evidently owned by someone in Shenzhen, China. The app has been downloaded anywhere from 1.1 million to 4.6 million times. The exact number isn’t known because the Android Market doesn’t offer precise data. The search through the data showed that Jackeey Wallpaper and another developer known as iceskysl@1sters! (which could possibly be the same developer, as they use similar code) were collecting personal data. The wallpaper app asks for “phone info,” but that isn’t necessarily a clear warning.

The Lookout executives found the questionable app as part of their App Genome Project. Lookout is a mobile security firm, and it logged data from more than 100,000 free Android and iPhone apps as part of the project to analyze how apps behave. It found that the apps access your personal data quite often. On Android, each user is asked if they give their permission to access an app, but on the iPhone, where Apple approves apps, no permission is needed.

Read More: http://mobile.venturebeat.com/2010/07/28/android-wallpaper-app-that-steals-your-data-was-downloaded-by-millions/

Cisco has unveiled the Cius, a 7-inch business tablet capable of capturing and displaying high-resolution video among a bevy of other business oriented tasks for which the device is geared. With collaboration and communication portability in mind, the device weighs in at 1.15 pounds and supports HD video streaming, multi-party conferencing, and all the messaging and browsing you could ever need for business use. Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity insures employees in the field can easily stay in touch with headquarters.

The Android-based tablet won’t be available until 2011, though consumer trials will begin during Q3 of this year, but you probably can’t expect to see this tablet available directly to the consumer. Sales of the device will be targeted toward business and enterprise users through Cisco, which is a bit of a shame considering some of the truly cool features this tablet offers. I actually really dig the office phone docking station, too.

Reference site:  http://www.cisco.com/en/US/prod/collateral/voicesw/ps6789/ps7290/ps11156/solution_overview_c22-608594.html
Source: http://phandroid.com/2010/06/29/cisco-announces-cius-7-inch-hd-android-tablet/

Russian hacker LeshaK doesn’t own a Samsung Galaxy S. But that hasn’t stopped him from rooting Samsung’s Android phone. By using a combination of emulators and testing provided by fellow forum friends, LeshaK was able to gain root access on Samsung’s anticipated phone.

The Samsung Galaxy S is already out in Europe, and it’s coming to the US later this summer, with AT&T as the Captivate and with T-Mobile as the Vibrant. We also know that the Galaxy S Pro with keyboard is coming to Sprint, and will be the second 4G phone on that network.

All that aside, LeshaK has posted a guide on how to gain superuser access on the Samsung Galaxy S, along with a custom ROM. This should be handy news for all those Android fans out there who want to get all the absolute most from their devices.

AT&T looks to have their strange restrictions on the Samsung Captivate – the same restrictions that they played on the Motorola Backflip and the (mysteriously disappeared) Dell Aero. Will this superuser access be the first step to removing their strange bans on Android? Only time will tell.

Oh, and as this phone has already been released in Europe, I’m afraid it doesn’t break the EVO 4G’s record of being rooted before the phone was even released.

Source: http://nexus404.com/Blog/2010/06/25/samsung-galaxy-s-rooted-hacker-roots-galaxy-s-phone-not-even-out-in-united-states-yet/